The Aleutia Fishery is a wild, ocean-run environmentally friendly salmon fishery that is uniquely located where the Bering Sea and North Pacific Ocean collide. In this region, the salmon feed naturally on a rich mix of nutrients swept up in the strong ocean current.

Each year Aleut families harvest salmon at sea before they begin to deteriorate in fresh water rivers and streams, and because these salmon are "ocean caught" and individually quick frozen (IQF) they are at their absolute highest fat content and most delicious.

To our delight, we have had the opportunity to purchase a large catch of Aleutian King Salmon and in an effort to share the wealth of this flavorful fish, we are excited to extend this very special, limited offer to purchase steaks of these kings for you, your friends and family to feast on at your next fete! We are taking orders on a first-come first-serve basis from January 28th to February 29th. These Aleutian Kings are truly an extraordinary treat not to be missed.

Get saucy this Valentine's Eve and join us at Palace Ballroom for lusty live music and a Latin Love Feast! We'll be dishing up delicious flights of Spanish tapas for you to linger over (with a special sweet from Dahlia Pastry Chef Garrett Melkonian) while being entertained by the glitter, glamour and old fashioned naughty fun of a classic burlesque show. This evening of cabaret features the big beats of Symphonic Kaboom! and world renowned burlesque stars Miss Indigo Blue, Babette la Fave, Vienna La Rouge and Belle Cozette. The lush colorful costumes, vintage glitz and gritty jazz to melodious standards should help get you in the mood.

To accommodate early "love" birds and night owls alike, we're offering 2 different show times. Please note the late show is for cocktails and appetizers only!! The performances will be the same.

As another Seattle spring approaches, so does the next season of our educational tasting series, Little Tastes of the Dahlia. We have a wonderful line-up of topics and tastes for you to choose from (see individual descriptions below) so make your reservations soon!

For reservations, please contact Dennis Jensen at 206.682.4142 or email dennis@tomdouglas.com. Each event is $25 plus tax and gratuity. Seating is festival style.

Spice
Monday, February 4th, 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Who better to guide us through the intriguing world of spice than the master of all things herbal, acclaimed cookbook author and longtime chef of the Herbfarm Restaurant, Jerry Traunfeld? Sip a star anise cocktail while Jerry demos three of his favorite spice recipes and explains how to add layers of flavor and aroma to everything we cook. What's the difference between a Balinese long pepper and a plain old black peppercorn? Does it matter where you purchase your spice? Jerry opens our eyes to all the spice possibilities. As a bonus, he may clue us in about plans for his new restaurant, Poppy.

Mt. Townsend Cheese
Wednesday, March 5th, 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Taste the terroir from...Port Townsend!! Will O'Donnel from Mt Townsend Creamery will be here to talk about the artisan cheese making process. This is cheese that really highlights the flavor of the cow's milk from local family dairies- you may think you can taste the green pastures and the cold rivers and streams that run from the Olympic Mountains with every bite. Trailhead, Cirrus, and Seastack cheeses will be sampled.

Eggs
Wednesday, April 16th, 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Eggs are so ordinary it's easy to overlook them and forget what a magical part they play in all our cooking. They bind and leaven, add structure, fluff, and silkiness-- a world without eggs is tough to picture. What's the difference between duck, quail, and hen eggs? What does the color of the yolk mean? The color of the shell? From a poached egg to a perfectly made omelet to a majestic soufflé, we'll learn everything about the essential egg.

Top of the news - Tom's Letter

My passion, hobby and addiction...

Throughout the year I eat in as many of someone else's restaurants as I do mine. Not only does it help my cooking and hospitality skills, but it helps me stay current on what's happening in the food world. An added bonus is the "Cheers" affect where quite literally, everybody knows your name.

People are somewhat surprised by how we choose to eat at our own joints, since it's really the same way you might. For example, when I have friends or family in from out of town, it's a given we're heading to the Dahlia for what I consider the quintessential Seattle dining experience. After a late catering or show at the Paramount, the Palace Kitchen is automatic. At the same time, over the years, Wild Ginger and Rovers have become places I feel just as comfortable dining in as Lola or Etta's.

My point really is, after 25 years of running them, my passion, hobby and addiction are restaurants. I still get a kick out of someone saying to me "we've been thinking of where to celebrate my 40th birthday or my 25th anniversary and we chose the Dahlia Lounge." I crave meals that won't be served again from closed Seattle classics namely Labuznik, Cafe Sambika, and the Copper Kettle. Places that felt like family whether Jackie and I owned them, dated there or just ate there a hellofalot.

This brings me to Dinette, a small little gem at Denny and Olive. It's not often a restaurant strikes me the way Mel's charming café has. Spare, in a good way, homey but urban. Floors creak, lights dim with every dishwasher load. Such a welcome addition to this vintage Capital Hill setting. Toast laced with slivered herb omelets or chicken livers are the only way to begin. The blackboard menu reeks of "joy of cooking" enlisting cabbage rolls, veal cannelloni and coq au vin. And while that might seem mundane to more snooty types, I have had two of my favorite meals here in 2007. The kitchen is the size of a postage stamp anchored by a Silex toaster and electric stoves surely bought on sale from Home Depot. The wine list is well chosen and reasonable and service spotless. There is just something about Dinette and Mel's food chops that remind me of a Seattle gone by and yet the bright future we need in out city's dynamic restaurant scene. She has got it going on!

Cheers,

Tom

Seattle Kitchen Newsletter Topics - Meet the Staff

Get to know Chris Field, our new Chef at Etta's

By Sarah Flotard

Chris, how did you first get started cooking?

Well, it wasn't really cooking, but I was in a restaurant! I started washing dishes at my dad's place, The Inn Flight Restaurant near the Redding, PA airport, when I was 14. Finally got behind the line to start some real cooking at 15.

That must have been fun to learn from your dad. What was your favorite dish to make there?

Before becoming the Chef at Etta's, you were the Chef of Tom’s Catering and Events team. Are there big differences between those two gigs?

I loved working with the Catering Team. There's so much planning that goes into each event and such a sense of accomplishment once it's over. But there's more flexibility in a restaurant to do stuff on the fly, use some last minute ingredients from the market or incorporate last minute ideas.

Do you have any personal favorites you’d like to see on the Etta’s menu?

Definitely the classic Broiled Crab Imperial, which may make a comeback at Etta's. It's crab mixed with a remoulade or mayo dressing that gets formed into a cake then baked under the broiler with no breadcrumbs. It has a great crust and is creamy on the inside.

Favorite Fish?

I'd say Halibut for sure. Pan seared and then over roasted with butter, salt and pepper.

Chris, you and I have a shared, secret love of Stouffers French Bread Pizza. What are some of your other guilty culinary pleasures?

Pretty much any egg breakfast sandwich from a drive though window. A Nestle 100 Grand Bar and a Dr. Pepper isn't too shabby either.

For a luxurious winter brunch, try this customer favorite from Etta's menu. The blender hollandaise is a breeze and you can make it as hot and spicy as you like.

If your Valentine's date turns into a sleepover (lucky you!), this is a great, sexy breakfast for the morning after. For 2 servings, make the full amount of hollandaise (because that works best in the blender) and cut the rest of the ingredients in half.